“For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me, is not according to man,” Galatians 1:11.

It seems that this minister, was listing his credentials. The route that he went, to learn and know the things that he was able to literally demonstrate with power, wasn’t the usual path we see today. We could venture to say, that he may not have learned all the things he knew and was shown about the Spirit and the heavens, by going about it with men’s ways. This prods us to stop here, and to study.

“For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ,” Galatians 1:12.

Perhaps before we start to call ourselves followers of these New Testament ministers and brethren, we likely ought to compare what we say we have, to what they actually manifested.

As it’s been said before, if we profess something, we need to be able to demonstrate it. Recently, I felt a true desire to be really used of God; that He would continue to take me to those places and depths, I still want to go. But I had to reflect somewhat.

Consider what Jesus went through; all of the awful things that were done to him. Such a loving man, who was tortured and destroyed so savagely.

Think again, what the Apostle Paul endured and how badly treated he was for what He knew, and had been taught. I mean, let’s really re-visit that list.

Truthfully, all of my trials and tribulations seem small when lined up beside these two men. I think that one thing some of us need to determine in ourselves, is that all of the suffering we’ve had here, will not have been in vain.

Jesus told some of those who questioned just how He knew the things that He did and where He learned it from. His answer was very clear: “I speak these things, as the Father taught me,” (John 8:28).

Now, that is not going to sit well with some of our theology or our doctrines. But it does not matter today; it’s what He said.

We might do well in this hour to stop debating so much and learn, once and for all, who the real Teacher is! We’re missing some precious truths, by all of this arguing and putting down of others, who also have the Holy Ghost.

We have to continue on. “It is written in the prophets: And they shall all be taught of God. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to me,” John 6:45.

Well, Jesus said it; and He said a lot more of the same in other places in the Word also. We are not going to get lost here; going down tangent roads we have a habit of going. We just have to face reality today. Much is being expressed by men, and women, who declare themselves ministers of God but who are truly false teachers. More and more, the Cross is being left out.

If the Holy Ghost is teaching you through the Word, then you are being taught by God.

Do we not often state that it is “God’s” word? What are men teaching today? And we have to go even further and ask, “What are men not teaching, that they should be?”

It has been a bit unsettling to hear some in authority preach, but they could not teach. It seems that more and more, many are calling themselves by certain titles, where they should be “apt to teach,” but aren’t.

God set true teachers in the Church; all taught by the Holy Ghost.

There is a question that must be asked, even though it might seem offensive to many. It’s this: Who taught you what you know?

Did the apostle not say, we should now be teaching others? He was talking to all of us.

If you’re just starting out, don’t be so concerned. Open your heart and mind, to listening to the voice of the Spirit. We, as the body of Christ, all members, have been promised that the real Truth, would lead us and guide us.

Even yet, we have so much to learn. We cannot possibly teach others, if God did not teach us first.

 

~ Robert Blackburn

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Robert Blackburn

 

 

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